Machine Week 2023
everything's connected but nothing's working !Toiler Paper Plotter: Arch Section Repo
Damatictron: CBA Section Repo / CBA Section Website
Gershenforcer: EECS Section Repo / EECS Website
Photo Bleach: Harvard Section Repo / Harvard Website
1. Your (Group) Task
Each section will design and build a "machine" - this means anything that includes mechanism, actuation, automation and application, that just means:
Mechanism: mechanical degrees-of-freedom (DOF)
Stuff shuld move around.
Actuation: computer-controllable motion of the above DOFs
The motion should be computer controlled.
Automation / Application software-coordinated computer-control of the above, and i.e. sequences therein
The motion should result in some desired outcome... maybe make something, draw something, change something, assemble something, sort something, cast a spell, etc.
2. Tools, Tools, Tools !
Ilan (inventor of CoreXY) would urge us to think more carefully about "tools" - what does it mean to build a computer-controlled system that acts like a tool, interacting with the world but being mediated by some designer's intent... it's a foamcore world.
Shaper Origin [YouTube]
Turn-By-Wire [UIST]
3. Examples / Ideas
The machines you design and build don't need to be complicated - try to de-risk ideas early, and do stuff that "works right away" rather than complex projects that require hundreds of details to come together all at once in order to work. This can be fun; have fun.
Light Painting
Label Maker
Wire Cutter
Music Machines aka Clangers / Bangers
String / Floating Machines
Architecture-Scale / Space Transforming
Claw Machine
Robot Chainsaw Machine
Robot Basketball Hoop
4. Strategies
- teamworks!
- have a project manager
- divide into sub-teams, but talk often
- electronics / software
- mechanism
- documentation
- cad/cam ?
- prototype in cardboard, mechanisms can move 'by hand'
- commit to your vision (no backtracking)
- spiral development !
- document all the time, it should be one person's job !
- one page per team,
- note individual contributions on your page
5. Examples from this Kit
Framing
Belt Axis [CAD]
Kit [stl]
Leadscrew Axis
Assembly [CAD]
Kit [stl]
Rotary Axis
Kit [stl]
The Blot / Drawing Machine [notes]
The Xylophone
Scara Arm [YouTube]
TODO
6. The Kit
Modular Things !
... Circuits
7. What to Do Now
- elect a contact-person (or dictator)
- have them contact us (Jake and Quentin) (contact info will be in a gitlab issue)
- convene a kickoff meeting, schedule it with us!
- kits, demos, and more to come...